Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American
Meal
Eric Schlosser
Study Guide
You should do well on the test (and on weekly quizzes)
if you can answer the following questions. Remember, this is a
guide and is not intended to be an advance copy of the questions
on the quiz or the test.
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Introduction
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How does the amount spent on fast food compare
with the amount spent on other things in our society?
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Why is fast food worth studying?
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What are some of the observations about
McDonald's made by the author?
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What does the author say about independent
farmers?
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What does the author say about the political
clout of the meat packing industry?
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According to the author, why did he write
this book?
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Chapter 1, "The Founding Fathers"
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What restaurant chain did Carl Karcher start?
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Why did General Motors want to buy trolley
systems throughout the U.S.?
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What was the "Speedee Service System"
and how was it different from what other fast food restaurants
were doing?
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What were some of the characteristics of
the men who started the fast food industry?
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What were some of the other fast food restaurants
that were inspired by McDonald's approach to food service?
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Chapter 2, "Your Trusted Friends"
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What are some of the parallels between Ray
Kroc and Walt Disney?
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How does the author describe Walt Disney
and Ray Kroc's involvement in politics?
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What is synergy in marketing and what are
some of the ways that fast food companies practice synergy?
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Why, in the 1980s, did companies start marketing
to kids and what were some of the ways in which they did
this?
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How successful have efforts been to limit
advertising aimed at children? What does the author say
about marketing fast food products in the schools?
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Chapter 3, "Behind the Counter"
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In what ways is Colorado Springs today much
like southern California?
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What new businesses have moved into Colorado
Springs in recent years?
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What type of business is the largest private
employer in the state of Colorado?
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How does McDonald's decide where to build
new restaurants?
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Why are so many fast food employees teenagers?
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What is "throughput?" Where did
the term come from and how does it apply to the fast food
industry?
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What is meant by "McDonald's English?"
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What is the average job turnover rate in
the fast food industry?
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How has the "real value" of wages
at fast food restaurants changed over time?
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How has the fast food industry responded
to efforts to unionize its workers?
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How many workers at McDonald's in North
America are unionized?
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What are the benefits and costs of having
teenagers work after school?
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What is the impact of the Fair Labor Standards
Act and of Colorado state law on the hours that kids in
Colorado Springs work at fast food restaurants?
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What does the author say about robbery and
murder in fast food restaurants?
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Who is often responsible for committing
robberies of fast food restaurants?
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How has the fast food industry responded
to efforts by OSHA to reduce workplace violence?
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Chapter 4, "Success"
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What was different about the way McDonald's
franchised businesses?
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How does the cost of a McDonald's franchise
compare with the cost of a franchise from other fast food
chains?
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How does the failure rate of franchises
in general compare with that of other businesses?
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Among franchises what is "encroachment?"
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What are some of the disadvantages of running
a franchise?
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What fast food chain is considered the worst
in its treatment of franchisees?
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Chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste
Good"
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What connection does J. R. Simplot have
to the fast food industry?
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How have the potato farms in Idaho changed
in the last 25 years or so?
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What is PGI and how successful has it been
at organizing potato farmers?
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What is the "fallacy of composition?"
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What makes McDonald's french fries taste
different from the fries of other fast food restaurants?
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What are some of the similarities and some
of the differences between "artificial flavors"
and "natural flavors?"
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Chapter 6, "On the Range"
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What are some of the problems facing cattle
ranchers?
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What impact has the consolidation of the
meat packing industry had on cattle ranchers?
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What are "captive supplies" of
cattle?
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What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget
on the poultry industry?
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What are the conditions or terms of business
under which most poultry farmers operate?
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How does the nutritional value of a McNugget
compare with that of a hamburger?
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Why would small independent cattle ranchers
be afraid to speak out against the practices of large meat
processors?
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Which type of cattle rancher is currently
facing the greatest economic difficulty?
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How does the suicide rate for ranchers and
farmers compare with the rate for U.S. citizens in general?
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Chapter 7, "Cogs in the Great Machine"
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What changes did IBP introduce to the meat
packing industry?
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Why were newer meat packing plants located
in rural areas rather than in cities?
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What were the links between IBP and organized
crime?
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What has been the relationship between labor
unions and modern meat packing plants?
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How do wages in meat packing plants today
compare with wages in the early 1900s, after the workers
became unionized?
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How high is the employee turnover rate in
the meat packing industry and why don't the meat packing
plants see this as a problem?
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Where do meat packing companies go to recruit
new employees?
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What is the impact on small communities
of having a meat packing firm?
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Chapter 8, "The Most Dangerous
Job"
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How does the injury rate in meat packing
compare with the injury rate in other occupations?
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What kinds of injuries do workers in meatpacking
plants typically suffer?
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What the impact on workers of speeding up
the line in meatpacking plants?
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Why don't more workers complain about safety
conditions in the plants?
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What role do supervisors play in the reporting
of workplace injuries in meat processing plants?
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What does the author describe as the most
dangerous type of work in these plants and what kinds of
injuries do these workers risk?
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What has been the impact of allowing plants
to maintain their own injury logs?
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How has the authority of OSHA changed over
time?
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What does the author think about claims
that meatpacking plants have a great deal of concern about
the health and well being of their workers?
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From a worker's point of view, what are
some of the problems with Colorado's workers' compensation
law?
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Chapter 9, "What's in the Meat"
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Compared with several decades ago, how common
are food-related illnesses today?
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How has the centralization of food production
influenced the spread of food-related illnesses?
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What authority does the U.S. Government
have to demand the recall of tainted meat?
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What are most of the microbes in meat spread
by?
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What was the first national hamburger chain
& what did it do to try to change the image of the hamburger?
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What are the effects of E. coli 0157:H7
on the human body?
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What are some of the ways people can be
infected with E. coli 0157:H7?
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What kinds of things are fed to cattle,
things that might facilitate the spread of pathogens?
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How does the risk of contamination for ground
beef compare with the risk of contamination of whole cuts
of beef?
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Why is the author concerned about the use
of older dairy cattle to make ground beef?
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How has the meatpacking industry generally
responded to health concerns about the nation's beef?
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What was the Streamlined Inspection System
launched by the USDA?
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How did the Jack In The Box restaurant chain
respond to its outbreak of salmonella?
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What criticisms does the author have of
the current recall system for tainted meat?
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What are the advantages and disadvantages
of irradiating meat?
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What kind of meat is selected for consumption
in public schools?
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Chapter 10, "Global Realization"
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Why did the author visit Plauen, Germany?
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In a discussion of fast food corporations
why is it important to talk about their oversees operations?
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In foreign countries, what group does most
fast food advertising target?
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In what ways might there be a connection
between the obesity rate in America and the fast food industry?
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Why is obesity a problem for American society
as a whole?
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What kind of business is the most frequent
target of anti-American protests in foreign countries and
what kinds of groups engage in these protests?
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What did London Greenpeace do to protest
McDonald's and what was McDonald's response?
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Epilogue, "Have It Your Way"
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In what ways are restaurants like Conway's
Red Top and In-N-Out different from McDonald's and most
other fast food chains?
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What does the author think should be done
about advertising unhealthy foods to children?
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What does the author say about the safety
of the U.S. food supply compared with that of other countries?
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What does the author think Congress should
do about food safety and about working conditions in meatpacking
companies?
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What can consumers do to change food safety
and working conditions in the fast food industry?
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